


Time for a Cup of Tea

by soniabigcheese



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 11:45:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13740189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soniabigcheese/pseuds/soniabigcheese
Summary: Continuing the 'afternoon tea with Lady Penelope' ritual series, this time it's Scott's turn





	Time for a Cup of Tea

Continuing the ‘Tea with’ series, this time Scott Tracy.

Penny chose the table carefully. It was placed with easy access, should her guest wish to leave all of a sudden, and the chairs were angled so that he could also see the exit.

It’s not that she expected Scott Tracy to suddenly get cold feet, it’s just that he was a very busy man and any time he had off, was extremely precious indeed. Sighing, she hoped that at least he’d be able to manage maybe a small pot of tea and a couple of sandwiches before charging off?

Here’s hoping.

She glanced at the antique clock and pursed her lips. He was late. That didn’t bode too well. But, she decided to proceed, ordering the afternoon tea - just in case.

Just as she was pouring her second cup, she looked up and saw him. He was an imposing figure as he marched through the entrance … and handsome too. Apart from that permanent scowl he’d had pasted to his face. He would have made a nice match for her, but for one thing. Her heart belonged to another Tracy. And even though he annoyed her, Gordon Tracy, younger brother to Scott, had his heart in the right place.

“I don’t care what he said,” Scott snapped into his phone, “I’m telling you it’s got to be done THIS way.”

Heads turned as he tapped the screen and shoved the phone into his pocket, growling angrily to himself. He grabbed the back of the chair and pulled it back sharply, causing it to make a screeching noise against the parquet flooring. Flopping down, he noisily poured out a cup of tea for himself and gulped it down quickly.

Penny waited. She knew he had a short fuse. She also knew that eventually he would calm down. The trick, as Virgil had told her, was to give him some time. She carefully pushed a plate with a couple of sandwiches across the table and he snatched one and shoved it into his mouth, chewing loudly. She tilted her head and said …

“Rough day?”  
“You have NO idea,” he muttered, before realising where he was. 

His whole attitude changed completely as he looked around, and then at her, and he couldn’t apologise enough.

“Sorry … sorry … didn’t mean to be rude but … UGH… “

The phone buzzed again and he rolled his eyes as he looked at his screen. Then blanched as he read the message. It was from John, There’d been a situation. Half rising from his seat, he tried to express his regret but he was needed elsewhere. However, Penny had other ideas and took hold of his sleeve, gently tugging until he sat back down.

She noticed that he was twitchy and a bundle of nervous energy.

“It’ll be fine,” she said soothingly, “they can manage without you. You don’t have to be at every rescue.”

He glanced at his phone, still clutched in his hand.

“But …”

She carefully pried it out of his fingers and slid it across the table so that he could still see it, but couldn’t reach across to get it. Then she touched the side of the teapot and frowned. It had gone cold. Gesturing to the waitress, she ordered another pot of tea as well as a bigger cup. They were prompt and efficient, quickly replacing the old tea for the fresh one. As she poured, she also noticed that Scott was quite tense.

“Fischler?” she nudged, he was the most obvious thorn in the side of International Rescue. Always getting himself and people into difficulties with his inventions.

He shook his head and bit his lip. He REALLY needed to go, but it would be rude to just walk out. But there again, he hadn’t technically agreed to this. It was his grandma and brothers’ faults. He was so going to give them the works when they got back. He then had another thought … one that washed away his anger in a nanosecond. What if they didn’t come back? Or one of them was seriously injured or died in his line of duty?

Oh crap.

He really REALLY needed to be there… right now.

He felt a mug of tea being pressed into his trembling hands and looked up to see the gentle smile from Lady Penelope.

“Before you go,” she said quietly, “at least have a nice cup of tea.”  
“Thanks.”

They both sipped from their cups and he realised that it was true about a cup of tea. It really DID help to calm his nerves. Or was it the genial company he was keeping? She peered over the rim of her cup and gave him a cheeky smile as he drained the last dregs.

“Oh and give Gordon a kiss from me,” she said with a grin.

He felt his cheeks flush and for once in his life, he was lost for words, before composing himself with a hearty laugh. He stood up, shook her hand before gently placing a kiss on the top.

And said …

“Why don’t you give him that greeting? It’ll sound really weird coming from me. And … thank you for understanding. Maybe another time?”

And left.

Penny picked up her cup and sat musing, knowing full well that there would never be a ‘next time’. But this meeting … albeit a little brief, was just enough for her.


End file.
